Drying, heating, or roasting conveyer apparatus



June 27, 1939.

E. W, ENGELMANN ET Al DRYIG, HEATING. OR ROAS'TTNG CONVEYER APPARATUS Filed Dec. 14, 1937 2 sheets-sheet 1 gnam n T014 Cdmordwngdmann Hugh idurzbah 332i Mw 6%/ Silexucaja.

June 27, 1939. E. w. ENGELMANN ET AL 2,164,056

DRYING, HEATING, OR ROASTNG CONYEYER APPARATUS Filed Dec. 14, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 N dmurd hlngelmam Hugh wurlbach M /VM/ Patented June 27', 1939 Dama;

amuse HEATING, oa amiamo Nvzm mm'rus Edwald'W. Engelmann and Huch E. Wnrlbaoh,

Magna, Utah A v Anuman December 14,--1ssase1a1 Nn. vwam 4 claims. (ci. spas) This invention pertains to drying, heating, :or roasting apparatus, andis directed more particularly to an apparatus for simultaneous heating and transfer of a material from one point to 5 another, i. e., for the -heating and/or drying' of a material while subjecting the same to movement or transfer between spaced locations.

One ofthen particular Qbjects of theinvention is to provide a dryingpr heating apparatus adaptlo 'ed toetIecLtransfer-fof material from ne point to another during' theheating operation, and 'to secure the dsired translatory movmentof the material by a minimum relative movement'between cooperating parts of the apparatus, where- 15 by minimum difficulty is' experienced' insealing the apparatus against escape oi' gases or dust tothe atmosphere.

A further object of the invention is toprovide4 a vibratory conveyer element associated with iixed casing means defining suitable passages for' the conduction of heated, gaseous materials in heat-exchanging contact with such conveyer element and/or with the material conveyed thereby.

A further object of the invention is to provide 25 avibratory conveyer element disposed within a fixed casing means arranged to .deiine duct members for conduction of a heatedA gaseous medium in heat-exchanging relation to the material conveyed -by said conveyer element, in which an adu vantageous form of sealing means is provided between the vibratory and fixed portions of the device to prevent escape of gases or dust tothe atmosphere, such sealing means comprising co- 's operating sealing members in frictional sliding .u engagement ,with one another and adapted for relative movement in the direction of vibratory vmotion of said conveyer element with respect to said casing'lmeans.

Other objects and features of the invention will be 'brought out in` connection with the description of the following preferred embodiments, as iliustratedin certain figures of drawings, as follows: 1 A

Fig. 1 is a partly vbroken-,away side elevation'- 5 of the apparatus;`

' Ililg. 2 is a transverse section thereof taken on line 2 2 in Fig. 1: i

Fig. 3 is a comparable section taken online 3 3 in Fig. 1; and v Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional detail of a form of sealing means which may be employed between thev fixed casing and the vibratory conveyer mem- -ber.

The apparatus of the present invention com 55 prises, essentially, an elongated material-receiving nieniber such as a conveyer pan I mounted for vibratory movement on a frame Zin any suitable manner, 'as through the agency of aplurality of steel reeds 3, the lower ends oi' which may be secured to the frame 2 as by brackets '4 `and theupper ends of whichl may be secured to the pan l as by means of brackets 5. The reeds 3 are preferably'inclmed to the vertical whereby the 'actual weight of the pani is resiliently supported on the base 2 through deformation of the reeds 3, accordingto established practice in the suspension of vibratory conveyers.- The movement produced-in the pan I is such a's to have a substantial component in 'the' direction of the length .of saidV pan, according' to 'conventional practice in the mounting o1' v'ibratry conveyors.

' In the preferred form herein illustrated, the

support of the pan I is shown to be of the'resillent type, but it will be appreciated that a nonresilient mounting may be provided, together with positive driving means as of the eccentric type.

ponent in the direction of the length of the conveyer member is satisfactory where vthe conveyer member is inclined' downwardly inthe direction 25 of travel of the material, but where the convveye'r member is disposed horizontally or in an upwardly inclined manner, it is preferable that the driving means be such .that an asymmetric movement is secured, resulting in a forward 'movement of the material supported by the conveyer.

Suitable duct means are provided adjacent the conveyer pan I, for the conduction of heated gases in heat-exchanging relation thereto,l said ducts being conveniently formed, for example,

as housing or casing structures enclosing' the respective upper and lower sides of said pan. In

the'speciilmembodiment shown, a casing Il is provided' at the bottom of the pan I, extending substantially the full length thereof, and carried by suitable brackets I2 mounted on the frame 2. 'Ihe duct II is provided with inlet means for supply of heated gases, as shown at" I3, preferably adjacent the feed end of the conveyer pan I, and with a' discharge header I I at the other end; communicatingV with a side ductii. In this particular embodiment, two separate upper ducts are provided for returning the air in heat-exchanging relation to the upper side of the pan I, as shown at I6 and I1. The duct -IG extends immediately above the pan I ,substantially the 'full length thereof and communicates with a ldischarge passage I8 which may communicate VA harmonic motion having a substantial comwith any desired type of washing meansorl dust collection means for entrapping any dust which may be carried away from the device. 'I'he passage I1 extends contiguous to the passage I6 and is employed where direct contact of the gases with the conveyed material is not desiredk, said duct I1 being spaced from the pan I by the passage I6, and communicates with a suitable outlet passage I9 fordisposal of the spent gases. The duct I 5 is arranged to communicate .with either or both of the ducts I6, through suitable side passages IEa and I1a'shown in Fig. 2, suitable dampers 2| being preferably provided in the respective side passages for proper control of the relative proportions of gas supplied to the aforesaid passages. The two passages I6 and I1 are conveniently arranged in a common casing 22, 'mounted on suitable brackets 23 which may comprise extensions of the brackets I2, and divided by a longitudinal partition 24 which may be provided with a plurality of heat-conducting ns 25 extending upwardly into the passage I1 to facilitate dissipation of -heat from the partition 24 into Vthe space above the material M shown in section in Fig. 2. The casingf 22 may be provided with an angle member 26 extending along the lower edge of each side wall, if desired, the brackets' 23 being attached to such angles.

Suitable means are provided to prevent escape of gases and conveyed material from the pan I to the exterior and of gases fromV the duct II, while providing free movement of the pan I with respect to the fixed housing portions of the apparatus. Such means may conveniently comprise cooperating male and female sealing means in sliding engagement with one another, such as a packing strip 3| bolted to each side of the walll portion Iaof the pan I, both top and bottom, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, forming a seal by sliding engagement in a groove formed of two spaced pieces of sheet metal 32 such as eighth-inchboiler plate secured to the respective housing portions as at 33. 'I'he end portions of the lower duct II may be sealed off through the agency of a flexible wall member 34 secured at its respec- Ative upper and lower ends to the pan I and the bottom' wall of the duct II and in sliding engagement with the edge portions of said duct. A plurality of ns I b are preferably provided for the lower Awall of the pan I to facilitate heat transfer from the hot'gases in passage' II, and these ns may conveniently be formed by casting the pan I with the ns integral therewith. The

Dan I may bemade inrelatively short lengths and bolted together as shown at 35 in Figs. 1

and 3, if desired, to facilitate construction of the device.

Any desired form of vibratory driving means may be provided to impart a longitudinal vibratory movement to the pan I, such as an electric vibrating motor means as'shown in U. Sv. Patent No. 2,071,373 and Reissue Patent No. 19,816, such means being indicated generally at 36 in Fig. 1.

During transit, the material in the pan I is heated by conduction of heat through the conveyer as upon a shaft 42 carried in suitable brackets 42a, and driven through a belt 43 by a reduction gear motor drive 44, as shown more particularly in Fig. 3.' A suitable flexible seal such as a spring biased sealing plate 45 is conveniently provided at the feed end 22a of the casing 22, in position to engage the tips of the blades 4Ia of the wheel 4I, and suitable baiiles or partitions are conveniently extended downwardly into the pan I at the side Walls thereof as shown at 46, against which the axial ends of the vanes 4Ia may rub to complete the seal- As the material is conveyed along the pan I, it is subjected to the heating action of the gases as above described, and may be discharged from the lower end of the pan into a suitable header 41, as will be apparent to one skilled in the art. Suitable clean-out or inspection doors may be provided as at 48 along the length of the passage `I6, whereby the pan I may be cleaned out on occasion. Suitable capped openings may be provided into the respective passages, as at 49, for the insertion of pyrometers or the like for the determination of temperature conditions.

within the device. 1

The spent gases discharged from the passages I8 and I9 may be conducted to any desired apparatus for the collection of any solid material carried thereby, as above brought out, and suitable suction or pressure blowers will be provided at such points as are necessary to secure proper circulation through the respective ducts.

The apparatus is adapted for use in the dry- .ing of solids, either with or without heat, for the iication in the actual structure will be possible without departing from the spirit of this invention, and we do not choose to be limited to the specific embodiments herein shown but rather to the 'scope ofthe subjoined claims. For example, the heat supply for the device may be provided by establishing burner means below the pan I, at the position of the passage I I, if desired, instead of supplying a heated gas to an enclosed chamber as herein brought out. Furthermore; it

is not essential that the pan I be subjected to' continuous vibratory movement, inasmuch as intermittent operation thereof may be relied upon to control the rate of travel of the material through the heating zone.

We claim:

1. A drying or heating apparatus, which comprises: an elongated material-receiving and conveying member dening a trough-like member having upstanding side walls; a casing member disposed above said conveying member and having side wall portions abutting said upstanding side walls, said casing member extending along the length of said conveying member and defining therewith passage means for conducting a heated gaseous medium along the length of said trough; supporting means maintaining said casing means in xed position; means supporting said conveying member for vibratory movement in adirection having a substantialcoxnponent in the direction of the length of said conveying arcanes member; cooperating sea-ling means mounted on the respective abutting side wall portions of said s casing and conveying members to seal said passage means from*l the atmosphere: vibratory 5 motor means associated with said conveying side wall portions `of said conveying member, and dening therewith a second e means for conducting a heated gaseous medium along the length of said conveying member; duct, means at one end of said second passage means establishing communication between said rrst named passage means and said second e means; means `supporting said second casing means in xed position; and cooperating sealing means n mounted on the respective abutting side wail porsurface 'there i: a second casing member dis-V posed above said element and denlng a second elongated passage having a bottom wall extending above said trough member' in spaced heatexchanging relation thereto; means supporting n both ot said casing members in ilxed position:

means supporting said element for vibratory i movement-in a direction having a substantial component in thedirection of the length of seid element; duct means adjacent one end o! vsaid element establishing communication between the mst-named passage and said second passage; eooperating-sealing'means assodatedwith said ele ment and with the respective casing members to llisealtheilrt-nameililllleeandtliespeeche-V provided with side wall portions abutting the length cfV said mmm therebetween.

length of said casing members: vand vibratory motor means associated with said conveying element for effecting vibratory movement thereof.

3. A drying or heating apparatus which comprises: an elongated material-receiving and conveying element defining a trough-like member; a casing member extendingbelow said element and deilningY therewith an elongated passage ior conducting a heated gaseous medium in heat-exchanging relation to said element at the lower surface thereof;.a second casing member disposed above said element and dening therewith t Y an elongated space above said element; partition means within said second casing, disposed above and in spaced heat-exchanging relation to said element and dividing'said elongated space into two superimposed es. the lower of said superimposed passages being in part deiined by said element and the upper of said es be ing wholly spaced from said element; means supporting both of said casing members in xed position; means supporting said element for vibratory movement in a directionhavingia substantiai component in the rdirection of the length of said element; .duct means adjacent one end of said 'element establishing communication between said mst-named e and both of said' superimposed passages:

tween aus element ma said bottom wan or the Ysecond passage from the atmosphere along the 500mm Settlingvr means associated with said element and with the respective casing members to seal the first-named e and the lower uw e of said twosuperf imposed es from the atmosphere along the f es; and vibratory motor means associated 'with said conveying element for electing vibratory movement thereof.

4. 'me apparatus ser mnh in enum aand somprising in addition :'damper means associatedwith means and at -least one of said superfor controlling communication mwsn w. ssamm maar. 

